Bill to study medical pot is wavering

SACRAMENTO (AP) Legislation to appropriate $1 million for a study of
marijuana's medical uses teetered on the brink Wednesday in the state
Assembly, gaining and losing the hesitant support of some Republicans.

The bill by Sen. John Vasconcellos, DSan Jose, calls for a threeyear
study by University of California scientists. Using National Institute of
Health study procedures, the UC researchers would try to determine how
effective and safe marijuana would be in treating certain diseases.

The bill is aimed at settling the controversy behind Proposition 215, the
medical marijuana initiative. It gained a 5416 majority on an early vote,
the exact twothirds margin needed in the 80seat Assembly. But Republicans
held the roll open, hoping to persuade some supporters to change their
votes.

The measure lost seven ``yes'' votes on a second round of voting, falling
below the threshold needed for passage. But backers used the same
parliamentary maneuver to keep the roll open, hoping to recover the lost
support. All but one of the first 16 ``no'' votes were cast by Republicans.

Opposition had been nearly solid among Assembly Republicans until Attorney
General Dan Lungren, the presumed GOP nominee for governor next year,
endorsed the bill two weeks ago.

Published Thursday, September 11, 1997, in the San Jose Mercury News